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Employers Share Most Memorable Interview Mistakes Candidates Have Made with CareerBuilder.ca

TORONTO, May 7, 2014 /CNW/ - Most job seekers know that making a good first impression in a job interview is crucial, but they may not realize how little time they have to do it. A new survey from CareerBuilder.ca finds that nearly half (47 per cent) of employers say they know whether a candidate is a good or bad fit for the position within the first 5 minutes of the interview. By the 15-minutes mark, 87 per cent have determined if the job seeker is a good or bad fit.

The national survey was conducted online from November 6 to December 2, 2013 by Harris Poll on behalf of Careerbuilder.caand included a representative sample of 406 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes.

Memorable Blunders

When asked to share the most memorable mistakes candidates made during a job interview, employers gave the following real-life examples:

Candidate asked interviewer out on a date

Candidate ate a hard-boiled egg

Candidate brought in a high school project because their mother thought the interviewer might want to look at it

Candidate explained that they would prefer to work at another company but had not heard back from them yet, so they were applying to ours in the meantime

Candidate fell asleep

Candidate forgot who his current employer was

Candidate offered to bake for the office regularly if she was hired

Candidate untied his shoes, removed his socks, and rubbed his bare feet on the interviewer's desk

Candidate said they wouldn't be able to work in the summer if it was sunny as they would be sailing

Candidate got up and paced around the office while interviewer remained seated

Common Mistakes

The top most detrimental blunders employers frequently see from candidates include:

Appearing arrogant – 54 per cent

Appearing disinterested – 52 per cent

Appearing uninformed about the company or role – 49 per cent

Answering a cell phone or texting during the interview – 48 per cent

Dressing inappropriately – 47 per cent

Talking negatively about current or previous employers – 46 per cent

Not providing specific examples – 43 per cent

Not asking good questions – 31 per cent

Asking the hiring manager personal questions – 21 per cent

Providing too much personal information – 18 per cent

Body language can play a big role in a job interview. Employers cited the biggest non-verbal mistakes candidates commonly make:

Failure to make eye contact – 66 per cent

Bad posture – 39 per cent

Failure to smile – 38 per cent

Fidgeting too much in his/her seat – 38 per cent

Crossing their arms over their chest – 34 per cent

Playing with something on the table – 30 per cent

Handshake that is too weak – 25 per cent

Playing with hair or touching one's face – 25 per cent

Using too many hand gestures – 10 per cent

Handshake that is too strong – 6 per cent

"Employers want to see confidence and genuine interest in the position. The interview is not only an opportunity to showcase your skills, but also to demonstrate that you're the type of person people will want to work with," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. "Going over common interview questions, researching the company, and practicing with a friend or family member can help you feel more prepared, give you a boost in confidence, and help calm your nerves."

Survey MethodologyThis survey was conducted online within Canada by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder.ca among 406 Canadian hiring managers and human resource professionals (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government) ages 18 and over between November 6 and December 2, 2013 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 406 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 4.86 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder.caCareerBuilder.ca is a leading job site in Canada. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), the Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), CareerBuilder.ca powers the career centers for more than 250 Canadian partners that reach national, local, industry and niche audiences. These include leading portals such as MSN.ca and Macleans.ca. Job seekers visit CareerBuilder.ca every month to search for opportunities by industry, location, company and job type, sign up for automatic e-mail job alerts, and get advice on job hunting and career management. For more information about CareerBuilder.ca products and services, visit http://www.careerbuilder.ca.